By Alfred Kollie, alfredkolliejr92@gmail.com
The Governance Commission (GC) appears to be poised to curb perceptions and beliefs in Liberia that men are superior and women are inferior by stepping up awareness on the gender equality policy, which is committed to ensuring that men and women equally contribute to the achievement of the commission’s mandate.
The GC through its Gender Unit has begun a two-day training on creating awareness and institutionalizing guiding principles on the Commission gender policy for equality in Monrovia.
Back in 2020, the GC and the UN Women in 2020 launched the gender policy developed against gender stereotypes in the Country.
Speaking at the start of the two day training in Monrovia Tuesday September 27, 2022, the Coordinator of Gender Responsive Planning and Budgeting at the Ministry of Finance and Development madam Sarah M. Mulbah has stressed the need for awareness and proper education on gender policy in government line ministries and agencies.
According to Madam Mulbah, gender policy implementation should be a top priority of institutions starting with planning and the implementation process.
She maintained that the policy will serve as a blueprint for promoting gender equality in the Commission for smooth working relationships.
Madam Mulbah observed that the Commission has also mainstreamed the decentralization policy.
“I want people to grasp the concept in promoting and bringing everyone on board in the planning process which will serve as a blueprint for promoting gender equality,’’ she said.
In remarks, Governance Commission Research Assistant at the Gender Unit Wilmot K. Bobbroh said the policy will serve as a blueprint for promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment in the Commission.
According to Bobbroh, the institution has taken several steps to demonstrate its commitment to promoting gender equality in the workplace highlighting its policy frameworks by establishing a Gender Unit and assigning a Policy Analyst among others.
The gender unit of the Governance Commission was established December 4, 2019 and launched its policy on the 10 February 2020.
The GC Gender Research Assistant said that the implementation of the gender policy is a clear indication of the GC’s commitment to fulfilling its obligation.
“We are going to work with this policy and begin the work of gender-mainstreaming as it relates to the process of reform,’’ he noted.